Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (Bridget Jones #2)

Jennie

Rating: really liked it
Weight: 867 lbs (due to entire Chipotle burrito still sitting in belly), cigarettes 0 (as don’t smoke), alcohol units 1 (responsible glass of red wine, for heart), calories 1557 (if Chipotle nutrition calculator can be trusted)

Have just finished reading Bridget Jones’s Diary: The Edge of Reason, aka BJD 2: THE DARCY STRIKES BACK. Still working out feelings re: sequel, as original was pure perfection, part of identity, Pride & Prejudice-related (so obviously superior to almost all other works of fiction), etc. Am having trouble reckoning feelings for this novel, as trainwreck of a movie is hanging over head in manner of pinata filled with poo or old, stinky cheeses.

Shall not dwell on turd of a movie, however, flawed as it is, because love the lovely book! Like Bridget Jones’s Diary, sequel is based on Jane Austen novel, this time Persuasion. Had not read Persuasion until several years ago and ended up liking just as much (if not more? blasphemy!) as P&P. Naturally, Persuasion suffers from clear lack of Darcy, however Wentworth equally swoon-worthy, also Anne Elliot is obvious patron saint of Singletons everywhere, having been declared old spinster at virginal age of 27.

Our little Bridget is still struggling with job, money, romance, family (overbearing mother, drunken father), blah dee blah LIFE in usual ridiculous and fun manner. All old friends are back, including urban family (Jude, Shazzer, Tom), Marrieds (Smug and Otherwise), insane boss Richard Finch, delightful mess Daniel Cleaver, and of course Mark Darcy, with whom Bridget is now deeply in love. New characters join Bridget’s world in form of odious Rebecca, a jellyfish (aka frenemy) on the prowl for Bridget’s boyfriend, and friend Magda’s adorable moppets, created to make Bridget look alternately crazy and competent.

Do wish that book had not included any romantic turmoil for Bridget and Mark Darcy, however realize that there would have been conspicuous lack of plot otherwise. Could not even bring self to get worked up over ridiculousness of certain plotlines (Thai prison, hole in side of flat, stinky fish left in purse for weeks, what-have-you) because of love for all things Bridget and Darcy, also because of equally important happy ending (spoilers)! Suppose am typical girl that way, heart going all aflutter at any mention of Jones-Darcy reconciliation, evidence of Darcy-still-in-love, etc.

Recommend this book for all who enjoyed Bridget Jones’s Diary, or like well-done chick lit (still hate that hateful phrase, should stop using immediately) in general. Especially worth reading for special treat in sequel (as all sequels must one-up original) in form of Colin Firth (aka THE Mr. Darcy) being interviewed by Bridget Jones, which unfolds exactly as one would expect.

In short, sequel is v.g.

Ahmad Sharabiani

Rating: really liked it
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (Bridget Jones #2), Helen Fielding

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason is a 1999 novel by Helen Fielding, a sequel to her popular Bridget Jones's Diary.

It chronicles Bridget Jones's adventures after she begins to suspect that her boyfriend, Mark Darcy, is falling for a rich young solicitor who works in the same firm as him, a woman called Rebecca.

The comic novel follows the characteristic ups and downs of the self-proclaimed singleton's first real relationship in several years.

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز پانزدهم ماه سپتامبر سال 2005 میلادی

عنوان: برژیت جونز: مرز برهان (لبه ی منطق یا همان نکته باریک) - کتاب دوم از سری برژیت جونز؛ نویسنده: هلن فیلدینگ؛ موضوع: داستانهای نویسندگان انگلیسی سده - 20م

برژیت می‌کوشد، در جامعه جا بیفتد، و گلیمش را از آب بیرون بکشد، و در این راه از یاری گروهی از دوستان خویش، و یکی دو خانواده ی سنتی، در شهر محل زندگی‌ خویش، بهره می‌گیرد؛ زمان رخدادها، دهه ی 1990میلادی است. پیروزی این داستانها و اشراف بانو «هلن فیلدینگ» نگارنده ی سری داستانها بر مسایل بارکتر از مو، و حس جامعه شناسی تند و تیز ایشان، سبب شد، زنان بسیاری به دنبال کردن داستانهای جونز، اشتیاق نشان بدهند، و با ایشان همذات پنداری کنند، و بویژه وابستگی زنان، به نشریات زنانه، و خط و ایده‌ هایی که نشریات به زندگی زنان در غرب می‌دهند، در این داستانها مورد داوری قرار می‌گرفت، و نگاه نقادانه ی: «فیلدینگ»، به مسایلی از آن دست؛ نوشته ی «جونز» را، به چیزی بیش از یک اثر هنری، و حتی فراتر از یک رُمان پرفروش، تبدیل کرد، و از آن، یک پدیده ی ماندگار اجتماعی ساخت؛ «فیلدینگ» کتاب نخست «بریجیت(بریژیت) جونز» را، که همان گردآوری پاورقی‌های چاپ شده، در روزنامه «ایندپدنت» بود، در سال 1996میلادی منتشر کردند، و پاره ی دوم آن را، با عنوان جنبی و کامل کننده ی: «لبه منطق یا همان نکته باریک»، که همین کتاب باشد را در سال 1999میلادی، روانه بازار نمودند، و در ادامه نیز کتاب سوم «بچه بریجت جونز» را نوشتند

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 07/04/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

Suzanne

Rating: really liked it
The Colin Firth interview is hilarious! You just want to scream at Bridget to shut up and stop putting her foot in every time she opens her mouth! Just as wonderful as the first book!

Lisa

Rating: really liked it
This book should be retitled as Bridget Jones: The Unnecessary Sequel. Bridget returns as the hapless and can't-get-it-together heroine with plenty of love, work and weight troubles. The first book has a happy ending and I thought that was the end of it. Since it's so successful, of course the author cannot resist conjuring contrived plot lines for Bridget's second adventure.

Bridget came across as charming and endearing in the first book but here she becomes annoying and irritating. I (or the readers) love her int he first book because Bridget is not flawless. This makes her a very accessible character. However, the contrived plot lines of this book has managed to create a gratingly stupid Bridget which I cannot empathise with anymore.

This is what happens when authors go on beyond the 'happily ever after' last line.

E

Rating: really liked it
Sunday 26 January

6 pm. My Bed. Writing critique on Goodreads Hurrah! Just finished quite a good book. Will call friends and discuss it. Now everyone can see how smart I am! Will write a fantastic critique, one that will make everyone follow me, adore me, etc. Will be invited to review more books and will write for a famous newspaper (Guardian or Times).
Yes, will write not only funny review but insightful.
Should have a little wine first to start creativity flowing.

6.01 Will go shopping and buy Silk Cut. In the manner of every famous writer, must smoke and drink while writing.

6.20 pm Should possibly organize room first. Surely Woolf was v. organized and clean.

6.25 pm Found lost pair of jeans under bed!

7.00 pm Right, will start review now.

7.02 pm Surely the internet will help.

8.00 pm V. Tired and frustrated. Everyone seems to think it's a waste of time. Will prove them all wrong, as the "Road Less Traveled" encourages.

9.05 pm Will start now. Oops Telephone. Must be friend!

9.35 pm Going to 192. Surely pre-drinks and friends will help self. Will get new ideas discussing the book.

9.36 pm Do not find a single pair of socks. Must buy more.

3.00 am Greatz Night mith pals. Yad mure drinkz. Hair iz zpinning. Here's pen?

AMEERA

Rating: really liked it
I hate say this but I hate this book , can be much better if Helen fielding just wrote bridge Jones's diary and stop

Alaina

Rating: really liked it
I don't really know why I still had this book on my TBR because I didn't really like the first book.. but oh well, I dove right into this one anyways.

Okay, so in Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason Bridget starts to suspect that her boyfriend Mark is starting to develop feelings for one of his coworkers, Rebecca. Of course this was a huge misunderstanding on her part because he doesn’t have any feelings for her at all. However, it is Bridget and it wouldn’t be a book if she found out that she was wrong right away. Nope. In the end, she felt foolish for even thinking that and all is right in the world because Rebecca started dating someone else. Right? Wrong. I hated this book so much.

LE SIGH!

Like I said, I didn't like the first book.. so I definitely didn't like this book either. It wasn't funny at all to me. It's like I was fake laughing just to get out of this book faster. I just don't like Bridget at all. She was so annoying and frustrating throughout the whole book. I didn't care what she went through or said throughout the entire thing. I just wanted this book to be over as soon as I started it. Spoiler alert: wine helped me get through this book. A lot of wine.

Overall, I hated this book. I will never ever reread this series. I will not continue this series - no matter what which makes me sad because I hate starting a series and not finishing it but I seriously can't stand Bridget as an MC.

I'm done with this.

Aishu Rehman

Rating: really liked it
Funnier and more accomplished than the original diary, and in fact takes recognition humor into a new dimension. Bridget Jones The Edge of Reason is a glorious read, and there is a laugh on every page.

Prabhjot Kaur (Away)

Rating: really liked it
After loving the first book in the series, I was excited to read The Edge of Reason but I was met with disappointment fairly early on in the book. There was a lot of drama (not the enjoyable kind) and not much humour in it.

Bridget starts to suspect that may be she is not enough for Mark and may be Mark is having an affair with his colleague. I really wanted to like this and wanted to laugh, in fact, I was desperate to laugh at anything but I just found myself getting frustrated and roll my eyes at Bridget. I loved her self-loathing in the first book and she got me into the chick-lit genre but I couldn't like her in this. I did like the writing though and of course Mark Darcy.

2.5 stars just for Mark Darcy.

Chelsea (chelseadolling reads)

Rating: really liked it
What a fucking terrible book. My god.

Elizabeth

Rating: really liked it
I desperately love Bridget, I really do, but the story just wasn't as funny the second time around.

I never thought I would tire of British humour, but - while The Edge of Reason is still VERY FUNNY - the plot line relies a lot on miscommunication stemming from the characters bumbling about and being unable to speak candidly about a situation or say what they really mean. Gets a bit old.

I don't think I'll carry on with the series. The original Bridget Jones Diary is absolute comedic and chick-lit gold and I'd recommend just sticking with that one.

Jessica

Rating: really liked it
Not quite as good as the original, nonetheless, spending more time with Bridget and her friends as they count alcohol units and worry about what underpants to wear on a date is a pleasant diversion.

Paul

Rating: really liked it
Bridget continues to turn being painfully shallow into an artform. I've no idea why I only gave this one 3 stars the first time I read it as, if anything, I found it funnier than the first book.

I have to say that Imogen Church does a fantastic job of reading the audiobook; at times I think she made the material funnier than it actually was through the strength of her performance.

Manybooks

Rating: really liked it
Although Bridget Jones is still a fun and delightfully unpredictable character in this second instalment of Helen Fielding's series, there is simply too much presented, featured exaggeration and resulting disbelief for me to be able to totally and utterly (without reservations) enjoy The Edge of Reason. For while with the first book, with Bridget Jones's Diary, although Bridget often was indeed outrageous and even at times (and perhaps even rather regularly) inappropriate, she was still and usually engaged in antics that could easily and even normally happen (events, personal behaviours to which I could at least mildly and personally relate), whereas, at least for me, the majority of the scenarios presented, featured in The Edge of Reason, but especially the entire Thailand episode, simply feel a bit too strange, too over-the-top, interesting enough perhaps, but also somewhat alienating.

And thus, while definitely still for the most part an enjoyable and entertainingly light romp, with The Edge of Reason, I sometimes and perhaps even more than sometimes do tend to feel more like a dispassionate and even analysing (coldly critical) observer and monitor of Bridget, while with the first book, with Bridget Jones's Diary, I very much and often felt like I was Bridget (or at least that I could be Bridget), actually experiencing her frustrations, her dietary faux pax, her searches for the perfect man (and I just cannot seem dispense with my personal sense of disbelief with much of the action featured and presented in The Edge of Reason, simply because much of it is so far beyond my own personal experiences that it feels strange, even at times rather majorly disconcerting and disconnecting).

But all that being said and my issues with reality and exaggeration notwithstanding, The Edge of Reason does remain for me a generally enjoyable read and as such one which I do still heartily recommend for fans of Bridget Jones' Diary (but with the caveat that it is certainly nowhere near as good and as entertaining as the first book, and the additional personal warning to absolutely NOT bother with the second movie instalment, as it veers so far beyond the plot of the novel to be simply massively annoying and majorly frustrating).

Stephanie

Rating: really liked it
After finishing Bridget Jones's Diary for the second time, I turned my attention to Bridge Jones: The Edge of Reason, by Helen Fielding, which I'd never read before. I have to say that with both books, there were definitely laugh-out-loud moments, although there were more with Edge of Reason than Diary.

I'm embarrassed to admit it took me at least to the middle of the book to realize that this book was a take-off of Persuasion. And once again, I admire Ms. Fielding's facility in translating a classic to the modern age. Before I picked up this book, I wondered, idly, "Pride and Prejudice ended with a marriage. What on earth is Helen Fielding going to do in her sequal?" I assumed it would be one more of those books written by Jane Austen devotees who cannot stand not knowing what happens next, where Elizabeth and Darcy, happily married, turn detective, or where Elizabeth, happily married, works on getting Georgiana married off. Turning to Persuasion for inspiration was felicitous.

In Persuasion, Anne Elliott and Captain Wentworth loved each other in their youth (fully ten years ago), but were driven apart by the machinations and bad advice of Anne's family. At the end of the book, happily, they have reconciled and their love is as strong as ever. In Edge of Reason, Bridget and Mark have been together for a full four weeks before they are driven apart by a series of misunderstandings, the machinations of vicious Rebecca (an exceedingly well-drawn character), and the bad advice (at least, in Mark's opinion) that Bridget has gleaned from the self-help books that comprise her library. Well done, Ms. Fielding -- I think that's a wonderful way to begin a sequal and also an inspired retelling of a classic.

This book was great fun and brought me great joy reading it. I think Ms. Fielding's satirical pen has sharpened somewhat.